Shattered Dreams
by Kimeko
Summary: Kaoru tells Kenshin her feelings, but the reaction is a totally different one than she expected. What will Kenshin do?


Disclaimers: I don't own RK. I would love to, though! How much do you want for them? Author's Notes: Hey, this is my third RK fic, and is a one-shot. I hope you enjoy!  
  
Shattered Dreams  
  
Kaoru looked at the setting sun, and smiled. She was sitting on the dojo porch, and a wind blew, ruffling her raven-black hair. She stretched lazily, and settled back with a sigh.  
  
"Kaoru-dono? Do you mind if sessha sits here?"  
  
Kaoru whirled around, and saw Kenshin, smiling at her gently. Caught off guard, she blushed.  
  
"Of course, Kenshin! Come, sit." Kaoru patted the spot beside her, and Kenshin sat, resting his chin on his hand. "The sunset is beautiful, ne?" Kaoru asked, her eyes dreamy.  
  
"Aa." Kenshin agreed. "Kirei."  
  
Kaoru looked at him from the corner of her eye. His red hair matched the color of the setting sun perfectly, and she wished she could run her hands through it, to make sure it was as soft as she thought it looked. Her eyes darted away, and she bit her bottom lip. 'You shouldn't be thinking thoughts like that. Get your mind out of the gutter!'  
  
"Is anything the matter, Kaoru-dono? You look stressed." Kenshin softly said, and put a hand on her shoulder. Kaoru looked into his eyes, and immediately got lost in their purple depths, so full of caring and protection for other people except for himself.  
  
"Oh Kenshin. Why do you do this to yourself? Can't you see, I want to help you?" Kaoru suddenly exclaimed, and put her hand over his one resting on her shoulder.  
  
Kenshin blinked, confused. "Nani?"  
  
Tears built up in Kaoru's eyes, and she hastily turned away, wiping quickly at her face. "Don't you see, that I love you, Kenshin?" She cried, turning to face him again. "I love you!"  
  
Kenshin blinked, more slowly this time. "You love sessha?"  
  
Kaoru nodded. "Hai, I do, Kenshin."  
  
Kenshin suddenly started to chuckle. It broke out into guffaws, and Kenshin doubled over, holding his stomach. Tears of laughter ran down his face, and he wiped them away.  
  
"What are you laughing about, Kenshin? I just told you I loved you! What's so funny?" Kaoru said, annoyed now. Kenshin continued to laugh, and had to put a hand on the beam next to him to keep his balance. "Y-You love m-me? That's h-hilarious! I could never love you, Kaoru-dono. I always thought of you as a younger sister. I was having a relationship with this westerner girl in the town."  
  
"YOU WHAT?" Kaoru screeched, and backed away, her mind numb. "You don't love me? Why? WHY?"  
  
Kenshin took a deep breath, and stopped his laughter somewhat. "I never have had feelings for you, Kaoru-dono. The girl in town though, her name is Cindy. I love her, and I was planning to ask her to marry me tomorrow. I've slept with her a couple of times-"  
  
'NANI! DOUSHITE?!?!?!?!?" Kaoru leapt to her feet, and ran. Kenshin was right behind her, though.  
  
"Whoa, wait! I'm flattered that you love me, but we're not meant for each other. Gomen, but I'm happy being somewhere else." Kenshin said, and spun Kaoru around to face him.  
  
"Y-You BASTARD!" Kaoru screamed, and slapped him across the face for all she was worth. "GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" She yanked her arm out of his grasp, and ran into her room, sobbing. She hardly heard Kenshin yell for her to stop. In her room, she grabbed a dagger, and whipped it out of the sheath, mesmerized by the dying rays of sunlight glinting off the steel. 'Dying. That is what happens when the one you love doesn't love you back. Sayonara, minna. I'll see you in heaven.' She plunged the knife into her chest, and fell to the floor. The last thing she saw was Kenshin's horrified face, before everything was plunged into blackness.  
  
  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Kaoru screamed, as she sat up in bed, sheets thrown off. She panted, and the paper screen flew open, Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sano running into her room.  
  
"Kaoru-dono! What is the matter?" Kenshin knelt in front of her, eyes worried. Kaoru looked at him as if he wasn't really there, and backed away.  
  
"No, it can't be. It can't be. Why?" Kaoru whispered, and hugged her knees to her chest.  
  
"What can't be?" Sano asked, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Kenshin and I." Kaoru whispered once again. "We can never be, if he doesn't love me." Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut, and started to shiver.  
  
Kenshin gave a look that clearly said for Sano and Yahiko to get out of the room now, and they obliged, backing out of the bedroom and shutting the shoji screen quietly after them. "Kaoru-dono, what gave you the idea of that I didn't love you?" Kenshin asked, and caressed her cheek gently.  
  
"Y-You think of me as a younger sister, don't you? What about that girl in the town, Cindy, huh? You were planning to ask her to marry you! How could you?" Kaoru ground out between clenched teeth.  
  
Kenshin, now utterly confused, blinked in the semi-darkness. "What do you mean, Kaoru-dono? Sessha doesn't know anybody by the name of Cindy, and was not planning to ask anybody to marry him, de gozaru." Kenshin suddenly blushed a light shade of red. "Sessha also doesn't see you as a younger sister figure, Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru fiddled with a strand of hair. "Then, how do you see me, Kenshin?" Her voice was soft.  
  
"Do you want me to show you, Kaoru?" Kenshin whispered huskily. Kaoru, surprised at the sudden change of attitude and drop of the honorific from Kenshin, could only nod dumbly  
  
Kenshin quickly closed the space between them, and placed his lips on top of hers. Kaoru shut her eyes, and sighed happily, making Kenshin smile against her lips. He lifted his head, and ran the back of his fingers across her cheek, making Kaoru open her eyes slowly.  
  
"I love you, and only you, Kaoru. You make my life happy. Without you, I don't know where I would be." Kenshin whispered, his forehead against hers, noses touching.  
  
"I love you too, Kenshin. I'm so glad you are in my life." It was Kaoru this time who engaged the kiss, and Kenshin happily responded, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
Sano and Yahiko, who were outside the door eavesdropping, couldn't hear anything except subdued whispers. "Aw, screw it! I'm going in there." Sano exclaimed, and opened the shoji screen, only to be greeted by the scene of Kenshin and Kaoru sitting there in an intimate embrace, kissing. Kenshin turned his head, and Sano gulped. Kenshin's eyes were a mix between purple and amber, but amber was steadily winning.  
  
"Sano, I suggest you go where we can't be disturbed, understand?" Kneshin voice was low, and Sano clearly noticed the drop of 'sessha'. Sano bowed, which was very unlike him, and backed out of the room, quickly shutting the shoji screen.  
  
"Wow, you look like you've seen a ghost. Something the matter, Chicken- head?" Yahiko taunted, and Sano stood there, for the first time in his life not becoming angry at the mention of his nickname. "Ano, daijabou, Sano?" Yahiko asked, worried.  
  
Sano suddenly picked Yahiko up by his gi collar, and ran for his life, leaving the two lovers in the bedroom, where they did not come out for a very long time. THE END  
  
Author's Notes: I had to write that. It was in the back of my mind, and it wouldn't leave me alone until I did. Darn bugger, always saying "write me, write me!!!" Maybe I'll be sane again after this. Probably not. 


End file.
